Wellbeing before Learning - Adelaide Thinkers in Residence - SA ...

Morning Breakout Session 1 - Hall E
Whole of School Approach to Positive Psychology: how do you do it?
Successful schools and early childhood services understand the importance of the work that they do all
day every day to strengthen the wellbeing of children and young people. They are able to show how they
attend to wellbeing in every aspect of their work. In this session, educational leaders will describe where
and why they began, where they are now and where they hope to be in the future. They will share what
they have learned along the way.
chair: Garry Costello, Head of Schools,
Department of Education and Child Development
Prior to Garry’s appointment as Head of Schools, he was an English Coordinator, Student Counsellor, Assistant
Principal, Principal and Regional Director. Following his appointment in 1997 as Principal, Mount Gambier High
School the school began a journey of rapid improvement, demonstrating high-level success academically, in
the Arts, and in sport and vocational learning. He has been involved as a presenter at a range of workshops/
conferences for Principals and leaders around Australia and has taken part in a range of international forums.
Morning Breakout Session 2 – Meeting Room 2
A Shared Preventative Approach: health and education services working together
We seek to safeguard the psychological and physical wellbeing of children and young people through
prevention and treatment strategies spanning the health, education and family support sectors and
involving government, non-government and private agencies and practitioners.
After decades of progress and improvement, the psychological and physical wellbeing of children and
young people is declining. In this session, panel members consider the timely question - how can health
and education services work together on the common goal of enhancing the wellbeing of children, young
people and families?
chair: Mark Diamond, Executive Manager,
Strategy Implementation and Community Reform, Mental Health Unit, SA Health
Mark Diamond is responsible for the implementation of Social Inclusion Board reforms relating to the community
mental health sector in South Australia, including the reconfiguration and integration of community mental
health services in the Adelaide metropolitan area. Mark has had senior management experience in three
states of Australia over the past 20 years. Mark has a strong interest in seeking to improve health outcomes for
particularly the most marginalised and achieving sustainable health system reform.
Panel:
Dr Mathew White, Director of Wellbeing and
Positive Education, St Peter’s College
Dr Mathew White is Director of Wellbeing and
Positive Education at St Peter’s College, where he
teaches Year 12 IB English. Mathew was the first
Head of Positive Education at Geelong Grammar
School. He is a Fellow in the Melbourne Graduate
School of Education at The University of Melbourne
and a member of the St Mark’s College Education
Committee, the first residential college of The
University of Adelaide.
Stephen Meek, Principal,
Geelong Grammar School
Stephen Meek has been Principal of Geelong
Grammar School since 2004, having previously
been Headmaster of a school in the UK for 9 years.
At Geelong Grammar, he has overseen an ongoing
collaboration with Dr Martin Seligman to develop
Positive Education - a whole school approach to
teaching and learning the skills of wellbeing from
Early Learning to Year 12.
Meredith Edwards, Principal,
Woodville HS
Meredith Edwards is the proud principal of a richly
diverse and challenging school in the western suburbs
of Adelaide. Under her leadership as both a Deputy
Principal and then Principal for 14 years, the school
has achieved national recognition for addressing the
very real wellbeing issues of all students, including
those from Aboriginal backgrounds, backgrounds of
poverty and those recently arrived in Australia.
Associate Professor Lea Waters,
University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Lea Waters is an academic and
a registered psychologist (MAPS) who holds a PhD
in Organisational Psychology. She is the Director of
the Masters in School Leadership at the Melbourne
Graduate School of Education (MGSE), University
of Melbourne and was awarded the Melbourne
Graduate School of Education’s Teaching Excellence
Award, 2011. She is a known expert in the areas of
Organisational Change, Organisational Psychology
and Positive Psychology.
Panel:
Pauline McEntee, Director, Child & Adolescent
Mental Health Services
Pauline has responsibility for mental health services
to children and young people across 70% of the state
of South Australia. This includes community services
across the state, the only psychiatric inpatient service
for children and young people in South Australia,
perinatal mental health inpatient services and a
range of intensive community based services
Dr Brian Graetz,
Senior Program Manager, beyondblue
Dr Brian Graetz is the General Manager: Child
and Youth at beyondblue: the national depression
initiative. He oversees national mental health
programs in education (primary, secondary & tertiary)
and early childhood settings.
Janine Harvey, Assistant Director,
Child and Youth Wellbeing, Department of
Education and Child Development
Janine Harvey taught for 16 years in a range of
schools, and has extensive experience in the area
of behaviour management. She is a member of the
Veteran’s Education Board, the Community Protection
Panel and the Council for the Care of Children.
Janine is now Assistant Director of Child and Student
Wellbeing at the Department for Education and Child
Development overseeing a range of services related
to vulnerable young people.
Angela Congdon, Parent
Angela is the parent of Grace, a year 11 student, who
has a chronic health condition. She requires frequent
and lengthy stays in hospital. Grace was educated
within the State Education System and is now
undertaking her final years of schooling outside of it.
Linda Weddell, Mind Australia
Linda Weddell is the Youth Project Officer at Mind
Australia. This new position was established to scope
current youth mental health services provided across
South Australia, as well as gaps, with an aim to
identify the best ways Mind can improve its services
to young people aged 12 – 25. Linda brings years
of experience working with young people in the
community, particularly in primary health care, and
project management roles where youth participation
principles are paramount.
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